Winches, turnbuckles or tensioners are typically used in tie-down applications for heavy equipment. The transport of heavy equipment, such as military equipment, construction equipment, agricultural equipment, or other like equipment is frequently accomplished over rails, on vehicles such as trucks, via water transport, such as on rivers, canals, and/or seas or oceans. It is typically desirable to ensure that the heavy equipment is securely tied down so that the heavy equipment does not move or shift during transport thereof.
The heavy equipment is further typically positioned on a deck of a transporter, such as the deck of a cargo ship, railcar, truck or other like transporter, and lengths of chain are typically attached to the heavy equipment, or a support frame thereof, and tied down to the deck of the transporter. Frequently, chains of sufficient load-bearing capability are utilized to ensure that the chains securely hold the heavy equipment without breaking.
To ensure that the heavy equipment does not move or shift on the deck of the transporter, the chains may typically be tensioned via tensioners or winches. For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art ratchet load binder tensioner 10 that consists of a binder adjuster 12, locking sleeve 11, first end eye bolt 13 consisting of threads 15 and eye provision 17, second end eye bolt 14 consisting of threads 16 and eye provision 18.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art ratchet load binder tensioner 10 that may be attached to a chain for tensioning the chain as it is attached to the heavy equipment. The ratchet load binder tensioner 10 may be interconnected to the deck (not shown) of a transporter, on an eye provision 17 thereof and attached to a chain (not shown) on the second eye provision 18 thereof. The ratchet load binder adjuster 12 may be twisted around threads 15, 16 on an eyebolts 13, 14 allowing the ratchet load binder 10 to pull the chain (not shown) downwardly toward the deck (not shown) of a transporter, thereby tensioning the chain as it is attached to heavy equipment or another like item.
The ratchet load binder tensioner 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1, may have a locking sleeve 11 that is shown in the unlocked position, used to lock ratchet load binder adjuster 12 to first end eyebolt 13 preventing the loosening of the ratchet load binder tensioner 10.
The ratchet load binder tensioner 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1, may have a relatively large load-bearing breaking point, such as up to about 55,000 pounds, for example. However, the ratchet load binder tensioner 10 may have a relatively long length profile, and may be difficult to utilize in applications where low clearance is provided between the deck and the heavy equipment. Moreover, the tensioning capability is only as long as the eyebolt threaded shaft, so the amount of tensioning in chain distance pull may be limited.
In tie-down applications it may be advantageous, compared to the ratchet load binder tensioner 10 described above, to provide tensioning capability but with a shorter length profile than what the ratchet load binder tensioner 10 is capable of providing.
A need exists, therefore, for chain tensioning apparatus and methods of using the same that may be utilized to tie down heavy equipment. More specifically, a need exists for a chain tensioning apparatus and methods of using the same that may have sufficient strength so as to be relied upon to consistently tie down heavy equipment without breakage thereof during use.
Further, a need exists for a chain tensioning apparatus and methods of using the same that provides a shorter length profile to not interfere with heavy equipment with low ground clearance. Still further, a need exists for a chain tensioning apparatus and methods of using the same that may be contained within existing decks of transporters, yet have a degree of freedom in rotation so that the same may be utilized as needed to tie down heavy equipment.
In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 and FIG. 12, illustrating the prior art ratchet load binder tensioner 10, the tensioner 10 may be interconnected to a deck via eye bolt 13, which may be connected to anchor hardware 129 which may include an aperture or loop through which the eye provision 17 is connected. However, anchor hardware 129 is relatively bulky and oftentimes can protrude above a deck and fail to provide necessary clearance equipment requiring low ground clearance.
A need, therefore, further exists for a ratchet load binder tie down anchor apparatus and methods of using the same that provides additional ground clearance by providing a relatively compact anchor apparatus and tie down binder apparatus when used together. Specifically, a need exists for a ratchet load binder tie down anchor apparatus and methods of using the same whereby the anchor aids a tie down binder apparatus, such as the telescoping ratchet load binder tie down apparatus described herein, in providing necessary clearance for equipment requiring low ground clearance.